Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Quick, Bubba, turn on the Garmin and follow that cow!

Traceability of livestock is a big issue in the animal industry. That’s why the U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched the National Animal Identification System. So far, more than 400,000 premises are registered and their critters have animal ID tags in their ears that will enable humans to trace them with a reader or a scanning device. Why trace farm animals? Dr. Jessica Gentry Carter, agribusiness and agriscience, says, “In the U.S. right now, when you buy a package of beef or even chicken, it might say the company name, but we really don’t have any idea where that animal was produced. And there are some consumers out there who would like that information—things maybe even like what feedstuffs it was provided, or what the animal ate, the chemicals that were administered to the crops.”

Contact Carter at 615-898-2419.
jgcarter@mtsu.edu

Step lively!

MTSU Dance Theatre’s 40-member cast will bring new life to the stage through innovative and classical choreography in its Fall Dance Concert, which will be presented at 7:30 p.m. daily Nov. 29 through Dec. 1 in the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building’s Tucker Theatre. This year’s concert will feature “Crossing Ground,” choreographed by Michelle Ikle, a specialist in jazz, and “Freedom Riders,” choreographed by Travis D. Gatling, a celebration of individuals who had the courage to take a stand on racial issues in the 1960s. “MTSU’s guest artists match those of larger universities or more established programs,” remarks Kim Nofsinger, director of dance for MTSU. “Exposure to the artists provides students with a variety of insights and experiences within dance.”

For more information, please call 615-494-8810 or visit the department’s Web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/~theatre.

“You make me feel so young”.—Old Blue Veins

Franklin, Tennessee’s Mike Flynt and his football teammates at Division III Sul Ross State posted a 5-5 mark this season, 3-5 in the conference. What makes this unremarkable fact remarkable for Flynt is that he returned to his alma mater to use up his remaining college eligibility at the age of 59. How did Flynt do it? Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says “We lose one percent of our strength annually after age 25. Cardiovascular capacity also slows at an even more rapid rate. However, intense physical training can slow deterioration in our ability to meet oxygen demands in the muscle (cardiovascular fitness) and overcome resistance (strength fitness). Proper nutrition, including ingesting legal supplements in proper doses, especially if medically supervised, can significantly enhance training benefits.”

Contact Anshel at 615-898-2812.
manshel@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

TUNE IN NEXT TIME--The December edition of the television program “Middle Tennessee Record” will present MTSU homecoming highlights; the groundbreaking at the site where a veterans memorial will be erected on campus; the dedication of a new home built by MTSU students volunteering for Habitat for Humanity; the annual Expanding Your Horizons conference to encourage girls who are interested in math and science; a new television program from the Department of Recording Industry that offers professional advise on songwriting; and other features that highlight MTSU faculty, students and events. To find out when “Middle Tennessee Record” airs in your area, go to http://www.mtsunews.com and click on “Middle Tennessee Record” on the right side of the page. For more information, contact John Lynch, Director of Marketing Technologies, at 615-898-5591 or jlynch@mtsu.edu.

A FIRST AT THE FRIST--The Frist Center for the Visual Arts, 919 Broadway in Nashville, will feature “Mid-State Art Majors,” an aptly titled exhibit that will include works by eight MTSU art students through Dec. 31. “I’ve been here four years and there’s never been a show put together like this,” says Erin Anfinson, assistant professor of art and liaison for the exhibit. “They came to us with the opportunity, and we were thrilled.” Art professors nominated MTSU students to be featured in the exhibit. Then a panel of faculty chose students to represent each of the concentrations of the art department—printmaking, ceramics, paintings, sculpture and graphic design. For more information about the exhibit, including driving directions, please visit the center’s online site at http://www.fristcenter.org.

I’LL GRANT YOU THAT--The President’s Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) at MTSU is accepting applications from faculty for its 2008 Curriculum Integration Grants. The 2007 grants, which have been awarded to three professors in allocations of $1,800 each, are being used to infuse courses at MTSU with an appreciation for the experiences and perspectives of women. Dr. Jane Marcellus, journalism, will teach a course in the spring semester titled “Women in Journalism History.” Dr. Karen Petersen, political science, used her grant to create a version of her “Foundations of Government” general education class that would be applicable in a study-abroad context in Cherbourg, France. And Jeremy Rich, history, fashioned a course on “Women in Africa.” For more information on how to apply for this year’s grants, contact Dr. Tina Johnson, PCSW chair and associate professor of English at 615-898-2705 or ntjohnso@mtsu.edu.

GET THE PICTURE?--“One Perspective/Two Countries: Mexico/Italy” is the photography exhibit on display through Dec. 6 at the Baldwin Photographic Gallery at MTSU. Harvey Stein teaches at the International Center of Photography and has been on the faculty of the New School University, the Rochester Institute of Technology, Drew University, Bridgeport University and Jersey City State College. His photographs have been published in numerous magazines, including Time, Life, Esquire, The New Yorker, Forbes, People, and Smithsonian. For gallery hours, contact Tom Jimison at 615-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

THE CIVIL WAR AND MORE--The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County will honor its successful community partnership and commemorate its official grand opening with a “Warm, White Winter Welcome” public reception from 3-5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30. Located at 225 West College St., the center’s staff will kick off the free and open event with a 3 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony that also celebrates the completion of The Heritage Center’s main exhibit gallery, The Time that Changed Everything. Missouri native Julie Lenger, who is a graduate student enrolled in MTSU’s history program, was one of two student designers of the permanent display. “The Civil War exhibit is more elaborate than previous Heritage Center exhibits, both in scope and style,” she says. “This exhibit includes 13 interpretive panels that explain the events of the war in Rutherford County and includes period maps, photographs and drawings.” For more information, contact Melissa Zimmerman at 615-217-8013 or mzimmerm@mtsu.edu.